elaby | On the wing

Lately I've become obsessed with birds. I've always loved watching them, but not until I read Molly Beth Griffin's Silhouette of a Sparrow (BRILLIANT, by the way) did I realize that I could actually transform this interest into a pursuit. The lake by my office is home to dozens of bird species, and they visit the maple tree by my desk's window all the time. On Wednesday, I picked up the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America, and on Saturday, I bought a modestly-priced monocular. Already I've found that the little black birds that live in our trees are common grackles, mixed with some red-winged blackbirds and house sparrows. We've got robins and chickadees and mourning doves, and today, Rachel and I took our bikes to Fort Foster so Rachel could bike around and I could look for birds. I didn't have much success in the marsh - the birds there are too well-camouflaged to make out - but I did see some interesting sea birds that I couldn't identify in my book. They were ducks, I think, judging by their shape as they bobbed out in the ocean by the edges of some small islands. One was all black except for a patch of white either around its neck or on the back of its neck and a white stripe on its wings. The feathers on the back of its head came to a point. The other duck I saw was all white except for a black cap and black wing-tips, and maybe a black tail. I couldn't find either of them in my book :\

It's so fun and relaxing to look for them. We took a snack of fruit and cheese and crackers and ate them sitting on a bench, when Rachel got back from her bike ride and I got back from huddling behind some giant rocks on the beach to watch the ducks out of the wind. I have a journal that I'm writing down all of my sitings in, and notes about the birds to help me look them up later. I'm really enjoying it <3

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

yay birds! I took an Ornithology course for my degree, though that was in OK, so there were fewer seabirds. Some did, however, move along the rivers and migrate through, though. We saw pelicans and many other birds, including red wing blackbirds just about everywhere we went on field trips. So far as unidentified ducks, sometimes cormorants can look like ducks in passing or to the untrained eye( not that I'm claiming to have a trained eye, but they are sea birds which can have both the markings you mention and the crest feathers.)
It's awesome that you've found an outside-y pass-time which lets you learn as well! There are so many reasons to be outside rather than in. Which reminds me... time to figure out how big the new garden will be and how to set up a decent fence around it.

I wish I'd taken an Ornithology class! That's so cool!

I figured out what the duck-like white bird with the black cap and wingtips was - a common eider. Still not sure about the other one with the white patch on its neck, so I'll definitely explore the cormorant angle!

I'm really happy to have found something I love doing outside :)

This sounds wonderful. I love finally having names for the birds, flowers, plants, trees that people my life. I can imagine how satisfying it is to page through your book and find *your* 'neighbirds'. :D

n______n I love having the names too! It makes me feel closer to them, not to mention smarter. Hee, neighbirds! I love it!

I love birdwatching! You'll have to come with me to watch the Osprey, they're nesting right now. I'll have to borrow a stronger scope than mine, but that's easy enough to do!

Oooh, that would be so cool! Where are they nesting? We should totally go sometime :)

They're maybe twelve minutes from my house? In Newfields, I think it's called Sawyer's Landing... I know it as the place we put our kayaks in the water, but Mandy will know it's real name! You can see lots of other little birds around there too, it's a good spot.

On the wing

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